I’m looking for any information on a William Newton Nanney. I do know he was born either December 21, 1840 or April 10, 1841 and had died on October 27, 1925. I am trying to find out where the Cherokee comes in at and am thinking that it is from him but I don’t know much about it. I do know that there was a young boy that was adopted by the Nanney’s while taking the Cherokees along the Trail of Tears and that the young boy’s mom and dad both died traveling along it and that all three were Cherokee. If anyone can help me I’d greatly appreciate it.
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If there is a theory or supposition that William Newton Nanney was adopted, you’d have to find documentation that verifies this. However, Newton can be found in a number of records with a birth year listed as 1841-1843 (depending on document and year). He is also listed as White in records, and a family researcher can be found discussing the issue here:
http://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/nanney/1124/
“Terry, what do you need to know about your Nanneys?…I have no info on Wm. Newton being an indian…..he says in every census that he was born in Illinois…..but in 1850 census his parents say he was born in Ky……so??…also his death certificate says he was born in Ky…..but that’s not him talking there…
As for “Josie” (Ellen Josephine Brown….their marriage record says her father was Thomas Brown and they were married at the home of Thomas Brown by Rev. J.P. Jones…and I have a photo of Newt and Josie and he doesn’t look Indian to me….of course that doesn’t prove anything either…sorry”
What this leaves you with is doing possible DNA comparisons between other direct Nanney (male) descendants and William Newton Nanney descendants. Also, the birth years are inconsistent for the historical timeline, where an orphaned child was supposedly adopted during the Trail of Tears. This event was finished by 1839, and in the later stages, the routes and logistics were being handled by Cherokees themselves.